Collins Aerospace, Kaleideum Museum advance STEM and Future Workforce programming

• Collins donates $100,000 to support Prism engineering innovation initiative
  
• Promotes equity in access to education in underserved populations in the Piedmont-Triad area.
  
• Donation supports inaugural Engineering Festival February 26, featuring Collins aircraft seating products

WINSTON-SALEM, NC. (Feb. 8, 2022) – Collins Aerospace has provided a $100,000 commitment to Kaleideum, a Winston-Salem interactive museum of arts and sciences, to support Prism, the museum’s engineering and innovation initiative. This donation is among the first formal STEM education partnerships with Piedmont Triad area non-profits since becoming Collins Aerospace.

Part of Collins’ Redefining Futures program, the donation and on-going partnership with Kaleideum will help fund, engage and inspire youth to pursue career opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) – with a priority of promoting equity in access to education in under-served populations in the Piedmont Triad area.

“We are so grateful for this generous gift, and we are thrilled at the opportunity to grow our partnership with Collins Aerospace as an anchor for innovation and engineering programming at Kaleideum,” said Elizabeth Dampier, Kaleideum Executive Director. “Collins’ support of on-going programming, employee volunteerism and start-up support for Invention Convention enables the museum to cultivate the skills, confidence and culture our community needs to successfully engage in problem-solving and design thinking – giving children the opportunity to define problems, brainstorm solutions, try and fail, and present a final product.”

The Kaleideum Prism program engages K-12 children in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools through various guest engagement and afterschool programs, summer camps and events. With the help of employee volunteers, Collins Aerospace will help students explore the wonders of art, aviation and STEM through mentoring sessions, interactive play and scientific discovery.

“It’s never too early to start STEM education. Our partnership with Kaleideum allows us to deliver effective educational resources that spark wonder and excitement for learning,” said Edward Dryden, president of Interiors for Collins Aerospace. “Immersing students in hands-on scientific learning helps improve STEM literacy and empowers kids to explore science and technology. Together, we’re building a pipeline of future leaders and innovators.”

Kaleideum brings excitement to learning through specially curated events that focus on building STEM skills for modern innovation, engineering and manufacturing. These events include Invention Convention – a global K-12 education program centered on problem-solving, innovation and entrepreneurship – planetarium laser shows, FIRST Robotics Competitions and Kaleideum’s inaugural Engineering Festival on February 26.

Engineering Festival

The Engineering Festival is an event highlighting and celebrating the important work of engineers and their contributions to the world. Age-appropriate activities and demonstrations will be available from elementary aged children to college students, with local engineering companies, firms and university departments in attendance. The festival will cap the week-long National Engineers Week, showcasing the diversity of engineering careers, workforce opportunities and the many societal accomplishments made possible by the engineering community.

Collins Aerospace will display its MiQ and Meridian aircraft cabin seats at the festival, with company representatives on-hand to discuss the unique design, engineering and product details of Collins’ industry-leading seating portfolio.

About Kaleideum

Kaleideum was formed in 2016 by the merger of The Children’s Museum of Winston-Salem and SciWorks, establishing a single organization with a mission to “inspire wonder, curiosity, and lifelong learning in our children and community through interactive play and discovery. Kaleideum broke ground on a new Museum in the heart of downtown Winston-Salem in summer 2021 with an expected completion date of late 2023. In the interim, the Museum’s existing locations — Kaleideum Downtown (formerly The Children’s Museum) and Kaleideum North (formerly SciWorks) — continue to meet a vital community need as part of the learning ecosystem.